Meera is a member of her housing society's cleanliness committee in Pune. The twelve members meet every Sunday; some talk face to face, while others share updates through a phone message group. At every meeting, Mr. Rao records the minutes, Meera collects funds and two members check the lanes. Everyone arrives on time and nobody leaves before the work list is read, as this is what all members expect of one another. Last month, a cleanliness drive failed, and the secretary, who heads the committee, was held answerable for the work.
Mr. Rao records the minutes and Meera collects funds at every meeting. Which concept best explains this pattern?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Roles
Option (1) Norms — Incorrect. Norms tell members <strong>how they ought to behave</strong> and which behaviours are expected. They are shared rules for all members.
Option (2) Proximity — Incorrect. Proximity is a condition of <strong>group formation</strong>: repeated meetings with people who live or study nearby help us know them. It explains how a group forms.
Option (3) Roles — Correct. Roles mean that <strong>members perform the same functions every time the group meets</strong>. Mr. Rao always takes the minutes and Meera always collects funds, so each has a fixed part.
Option (4) Similarity — Incorrect. Similarity is also a condition of group formation: people with matching interests and views come to like each other.
NCERT (2026-27): “Introduction … “• A gathering of individuals who interact with one another either directly or indirectly.” “• A collection of individuals whose interactions are structured by a set of roles and norms. This means that the group members perform the same functions every time the group meets and the group members adhere to group norms. Norms tell us how we ought to behave in the group and specify the behaviours expected from group members.” |